


August 20th

by iL0Vsuperman



Series: Days of August [1]
Category: Captain America - All Media Types, Iron Man - All Media Types, The Amazing Spider-Man (Movies - Webb), The Avengers (Marvel) - All Media Types
Genre: After Movie, Drinking to Cope, F/M, Family, Family Secrets, Feels, Hurt/Comfort, M/M, Parent Mary Parker, Parent Tony, Parent Tony Stark, Relationship(s), Stony - Freeform, Superfamily, Superfamily (Marvel), Superhusbands (Marvel)
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-08-05
Updated: 2014-08-05
Packaged: 2018-02-11 20:43:14
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 6
Words: 20,028
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2082486
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/iL0Vsuperman/pseuds/iL0Vsuperman
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Tony Stark has a secret. He hides it very well until August 20th comes around. </p><p>On that date he is usually totally intoxicated by the end of the night... It was easier to hide when he was a regular drinker but now that he is on the wagon it is a little harder to keep his August 20th drinking habits to himself, especially when he has a boyfriend who cares about him. </p><p>It's only a matter of time before Steve finally catches him in the act and Tony has to come to terms with August 20th: the birthdate of Peter Parker, the birthdate of a boy he had never met, the birthdate of his son...</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. August 20th

**Author's Note:**

> These events take place a year or so after The Amazing Spider-Man 2...So in other words, SPOILERS!

“Sir, it may be wise to notify Captain Rogers of your yearly drinking holiday,” Jarvis suggested as Tony threw back another shot. The scotch burned his throat as it made its way down to his stomach and Tony ignored his AI in favor of feeling that burn. 

But, once that burn was gone, Tony dropped his gaze and stared guiltily at the glass bottle. Everyone thought Tony had been sober for the last two years but none of them knew about August 20th or what it did to Tony. On that exact date, every year, Tony could not hold back and was usually piss-ass drunk by the end of the night...

Before the Avengers, he never worried about hiding it from anyone. No one questioned why he drank so much on this particular date. They all assumed it was a part of his usual bad, drinking habits and no one, not even Pepper, noticed one of his bad nights always occurred annually.

After becoming Iron Man, and more so after the Avengers formed, Tony started getting his act together. He only drank when appropriate and made sure no one was around on August 20th so they would not see how bad he got.

He gave up alcohol altogether when he started dating Steve, with the exception of August 20th.

August 20th would _never_ change.

It was not too hard to hide it from everyone, even Steve. The first year in their relationship, Tony said he had to go to California for business and Steve, his wonderfully trusting boyfriend, believed him. Leaving Tony to feel like more of an ass as he guzzled down his three bottles of vodka.

He had not fooled Pepper, who knew his entire schedule better than Tony. He had to beg her on his hands and knees to not tell Steve. She assumed he only did it to drink. She assumed it was a lapse in his recovery. She did not know there was more to the story. She only agreed not to tell Steve if he promised to use a Breathalyzer daily so she could make sure he did not go back on the wagon.

He readily agreed and luckily she stopped it after a few months.

Last August 20th, he had to go about it a different route. If he left the Tower, Pepper would notice and if he stayed Steve would check in on him.

Steve seemed to care if he ate regularly and got enough sleep…things like that made him feel like Steve was too good for Tony.

Tony solved the Pepper and Steve problem by staying at the Tower and gifting Steve with a two day trip to Los Angeles to go to Dodgers’ Stadium and watch a game. In the 1940s, the team had belonged to Brooklyn and had been Steve’s team. Steve ecstatically accepted the gift (a rarity when it came to Steve who usually hated lavish gifts) but he was not too happy to hear that Tony would not be joining him.

“I have to do an emergency fix to the armor,” Tony had lied last minute. “I noticed something wrong with the code. It’ll take me all day to figure out. If I don’t work on it now, a super villain will show up and my armor will stop working in the middle of the fight!”

Steve believed him because he trusted him. Yet the super soldier almost did not go until he suggested Steve take Bucky with him. The Winter Solider was still having a hard time with his memories and the trip might do him good. Steve wholeheartedly agreed and thanked Tony.

Cue guilt fest.

Steve offered to stay behind but Tony insisted he go. After a lot of goading, Steve eventually relented and Tony freed August 20th to drink the night away. Jarvis made sure to make a number of quips about his drinking and lying to Steve but Tony weathered through it.

When Steve came back, Tony almost told him everything. He probably would have if Steve had not silenced Tony’s inane mumbling with a heated kiss. After that, everything fell back into place and Tony pretended the August 20th treachery did not happen.

His third August 20th with Steve, Tony decided to take a risk: he would drink at the Tower with Steve in the building. He held off on drinking all day and spent all his time with Steve. By the end of the night, Tony slipped away and told Steve to go to bed without him. Steve did but told him to not spend all night in the lab.

Tony promised and the lie burned his throat. He was going to drink all night to catch up on the time he missed. His mouth was dry since he woke and he needed to quench his thirst.

When Jarvis suggested he tell Steve, the guilt doubled. With this shame, he was going to have two reasons to drink soon.

“I’m nah telling him,” Tony slurred to his AI.

He got off his workbench and stumbled over to the box which contained his meager supply. He had it discreetly shipped to him the day prior and had to pay extra to have it labeled as “spare parts.”

He forwent the half empty bottle of whiskey and picked up the barely touched vodka. He hefted the bottle up and whispered, “Oh hello, my love.”

The bottle was already open, he had started off the night with a couple of shots, and he took a swig from the bottle. He stumbled back to his workbench and kicked over the bottle of barely touched scotch in the process.

“Whoops,” he mumbled then threw back his head as he took another shot straight from the bottle of vodka. He put down the vodka bottle on top of the bench then slid off, keeping one hand on the bench to keep steady. He bent down and reached out to where the scotch bottle had rolled. The bottle had emptied a good portion of its contents but he could still see a few more glassfuls of the amber liquid through the clear glass. He leaned forward too far and his fingers broke away from the bench.

His inebriated mind did not realize what was happening until the floor was rushing to meet his face. After the impact, his mind spun and his stomach clenched.

“I think I’m gonna lie here a little,” Tony whispered to no one in particular.

“Shall I dim the lights, Sir?” Jarvis asked.

“Go for it,” Tony mumbled, already closing his eyes.

“Sleep well, Sir,” Jarvis stated and the lights in his workshop dimmed significantly.

\---

“Tony?” Steve’s voice woke Tony and he groaned. His head was killing him. He opened his eyes but closed them with a hiss at the bright lights. Hadn’t Jarvis dimmed them?

“Tony, I brought coffee and eggs. Where are…”

Steve’s voice dwindled to a stop and Tony consciously noticed that scotch he had spilled last night had soaked into his clothes and his shirt was still damp from it. With sudden dread, he also realized Steve's voice was not a part of his fading dreams.

Tony snapped open his eyes to see Steve staring down at him in horror.

Steve was wearing his workout gear of black sweatpants and a loose white tank. He must have already done his run. He held a mug of coffee in one hand and a plate of eggs in the other.

Tony’s eyes flickered over to the nearly empty scotch bottle at his side then to the 2/3s full bottle of vodka on the workbench then back to Steve. He had half wished he drank enough to not remember putting away the incriminating evidence but his fantasy did not come to pass.

_Crap._

“It’s not what it looks like,” Tony gasped, his voice was hoarse from all the hard liquor he drank.

Steve flinched as if Tony slapped him and then his faced hardened and Tony could not read what he was thinking.

 _Double crap_.

Tony ignored his atrocious hangover and jumped to his feet. He gasped, “I can expla—!” He stopped and clutched his mouth as his stomach revolted upon the quick movement. He pushed past Steve and ran straight to the box that still held the half full whisky bottle and vomited all the contents of his stomach into it.

_Triple crap, crappiest of all craps! Shit, shit , shit, shit!!!_

Between upchucks, Tony heard the plate and mug clink lightly as Steve set them on the counter next to the workbench. Seconds later, Steve’s warm hands were on him and he was making soothing noises. He rubbed his back and talked to him as such until he finished.

“You’re too goddamn good for me,” Tony groaned when his vomiting ceased.

“Shh,” Steve whispered. “Come on, get up. You need a shower.”

He pulled Tony to his feet and Tony leaned heavily into his boyfriend’s side. Steve effortlessly guided him to the small bathroom attached to the workshop.

Once inside, he leaned Tony against the granite counter and turned on the shower. He adjusted it accordingly then tested it to make sure it was fine. Satisfied with the water, Steve turned back to Tony.

Tony had been watching him this entire time and this was the first time Steve fully faced him.

“Fuck,” Tony cursed when he saw the combined worry in Steve’s eyes, the anger in his clenched jaw, and the sadness in his knotted brow.

“You are not going to in a long time,” Steve stated. He drew Tony’s soiled shirt over his head then tossed it on the floor. It took Tony a moment to realize what he meant.

“What…you mean fuck? We’re not going to _fuck_?!” Tossed gasped. Damn, damn, damn he screwed up. He stated, “Have I ever mentioned how much I love you?”

Steve expertly undid Tony’s belt and darkly stated, “You drank.”

The tone of his voice made Tony shiver. Tony only heard Steve use that voice with the particularly bad villains.

Steve did not wait for a retort and slid Tony’s loose jeans and boxers from his hips. He bent down and, one by one, pulled Tony’s legs out of his scrunched clothing. When he stood again, Tony grasped his arm and made him look in his eyes.

“I’m sorry, Steve,” he whispered sincerely. “It broke my heart just thinking of breaking my promise to you and to actually do it made me feel like a monster.”

“Then why did you do it?” Steve demanded.

For once in his life, Tony was struck totally speechless. When the silence expanded past the socially acceptable limit, Steve’s face crumpled and he looked away from Tony. His hand gently reached around Tony’s back and he lightly pushed him toward the shower. Tony willingly stumbled into the warm water and he leaned into the tiled wall, letting the water wash over his naked body.

“It was just this one night,” Tony whispered into the white tile. “It won’t happen again…not for…” He paused, how much was he willing to say. Should he lie again? Could he lie again?

He cautiously looked to Steve and saw him staring at him.

Tony guardedly asked, “Join me? I don’t think I can stand much longer.”

Steve sighed and shook his head. He wordlessly pulled his shirt over his head and dropped his sweats and boxers and joined Tony in the shower.

Tony greedily took in Steve’s nude form. The man was a work of art. He had run his hands countless over it but would never get enough of it.

Steve’s huge body blocked most of the water from hitting Tony as he stepped in. He gently grasped Tony by the shoulders, led him backwards, and sat him down on the tiled seat. Steve turned and got the soap and a pink mesh ball from their caddy. Steve rubbed the soap into a lather on the mesh ball.

His silence was discontenting to Tony.

“Steve…” Tony whispered.

Steve put the soap back in the caddy then turned back around and grabbed Tony’s arm. He pulled it up and he roughly scrubbed his arm, leaving behind suds on his skin.

“Why did you do it?” Steve asked, not meeting his eyes. “Yesterday was so nice. We spent all day together and nothing should have…should have triggered _this_.” Steve slammed down the mesh ball in frustration. He bent down to one knee to pick it up but did not get up and rubbed his eyes. With Steve no longer standing, the water from the shower head hit Tony at full force.

“That will make your eyes sting,” Tony commented, when he saw the suds on Steve’s fingertips. The water soaked Steve, washing over his head and into his face. 

“I know!” Steve hissed. His eyes focused on Tony’s and he glared. His eyes were red and Tony knew it was not because of the suds. Steve repeated, his voice layered with betrayal, _“Why?”_

Tony gulped and focused his eyes on Steve’s right shoulder. The smooth skin and muscle made his cock twitch. Lovely, a hard-on will definitely cajole Steve right now. Steve’s own dick was flaccid and any form of sex was probably the furthest thing from his mind. 

“I…I needed to do it, Steve,” he whispered. Water dripped into his mouth and he licked his lips. “It was just once…” He gulped and said, “Well it _is_ just once…a year, only on August 20 th.”

Steve’s eyes widened, water dripped from his brow, and he gasped, “Once a year? _You drank before_?!”

“Yes, but only once!” Tony repeated.

“We’ve been together for three years!” Steve gasped. “How many times have you done this behind my back?!”

“Like I said, only once a year!” Tony replied, exasperated. He groaned and leaned back against the glass. His head was pounding and it was only getting worse from the stress. He wished he had taken some aspirin before talking to Steve.

As it was, his anxiety was building along with the effects of his hangover. He never thought about August 20th or what it meant to him beyond the confines of the date. It was safer that way because, if he thought on it anymore, his life would be all the bleaker. But here it was August 21st, that meant this hidden part of Tony's life was encroaching on another day and threatened to spew into all the other days.

 _If Steve found out_...Tony didn't even want to imagine...

“But you broke your promise to me!” Steve hissed.

Tony groaned, “Jarvis please explain to Steve that it is not a big deal.” How many times did he have to say it was only once a year?

Tony closed his eyes and gulped dryly. 

 _Please, don't make me face this, Steve_ , Tony silently begged of his boyfriend.

“Captain Rogers, Sir only drinks once a year,” Jarvis stated.

“Thank you, Jarv-,” Tony began to say but Jarvis was not done.

“-in remembrance of his son’s birth.”

Both Steve and Tony stiffened upon Jarvis's words. Tony stared at the ceiling and refused to drop his gaze and meet Steve’s eyes. The sound of the water leaving the showerhead sounded like a roar in his ears.

 _Goddamn Jarvis_.

After an eternity of silence, Steve grasped his thigh and Tony jerked under the touch.

“You…” Steve stated, his voice barely above a whisper, “You have a son?”

The bafflement in his voice drew Tony’s eyes. What had he been expecting? Anger maybe? Not shock—especially not the quavering in Captain America’s voice…He never wanted him to make such a noise again.

Steve was peering down at the floor. Tony carefully laid his hand on the top of his head. His light blond locks were darker when wet and hung heavily from his scalp.

“I do,” Tony whispered hoarsely. “I do have a son.”

Steve lifted his head and Tony moved his hand with him, ultimately resting his hand on the side of his face. Steve looked at Tony with sad and confused eyes. It looked worse with the shower water running down his face, imitating tears.

“Why haven’t you ever told me?”

If Steve sounded betrayed before, now the level of Tony’s treachery was so great he sounded utterly destroyed. Tony wanted to embrace him and kiss him until he erased that look of hurt with passion. But he did not move, knowing Steve would not want that, not right now. He stared at Tony with a hurt expression and his question lingering in the air between them. Seeing Steve like this totally shattered Tony.

Tony’s gaze dropped. He had to tell him the truth but he could not look at him while he did it. Steve continued to grip his thigh so Tony placed his hand over Steve’s. He was pleased by the fact he did not pull away and gathered every ounce of courage from it he could...though most of it burned up in the fiery tornado of anxiety churning in his chest. 

Tony whispered, “I was ashamed…It was years before you, years, before the Avengers, years before I became sober…I was an alcoholic, party boy, and I liked a challenge. When… W-When I caught the eye of my cousin’s wife I jumped right on it.”

Steve twitched under his touch and gasped, “Y-Your cousin’s wife?”

Tony nodded and whispered, “She ended it with me when she became pregnant. She, Richard, and the rest of the Parker family cut off all ties with me and anything Stark… and raised my son as their own. I doubt he even knows I am his father.”

Steve absorbed all of this information and then asked gently, “What’s his name?”

“…Peter,” Tony whispered.

“…H-How is he? What's he like?”

Tony shook his head and said, “I…I don’t know. Mary and Richard told me to never reach out to him and I gave them my word I wouldn’t. At first, I didn’t really care. I only cared about me and I drank on his birthday to honor him in some twisted way…But now I drink to drown my sorrows… _God, that sounds so cliché_.”

“…How old is he?” Steve asked.

“Nineteen, yesterday” Tony whispered.

Steve inhaled sharply and asked, “You never checked in on him in all these years?”

“I gave my word,” Tony replied with a shrug.

“If he’s nineteen then he’s old enough to decide on his own what he wants,” Steve retorted.

Tony shook his head and mumbled, “He probably doesn't even know I exist…”

Steve cupped his face and smiled at him when he met his eyes. He whispered, “Who wouldn’t want the incredible Iron Man as a father? Or, better yet, the intelligent, brave, gracious, and handsome Tony Stark?”

“Handsome, eh?” Tony murmured, rubbing the side of his face against Steve’s palm.

“Of course you would latch on that,” Steve said with a roll of his eyes.

“What can I say?” Tony said with a sly grin. “When a hot, naked man calls me handsome I take notice.”

“Tony, this isn’t the time or the place,” Steve murmured reproachfully.

“We’ve done it in this place a number of times,” Tony noted, encouraged by Steve’s tone of voice. He no longer sounded morose, he sounded normal enough for Tony to tease. He drew his hand suggestively down Steve’s chest and his muscles flexed under his touch.

A flush grew on Steve’s cheeks and he said, “I just found you lying in a pool of alcohol and found out you have a nineteen-year-old son. We are _not_ having sex.”

“Not even a hand-job?” Tony whined.

“ _Tony_!” Steve gasped indignantly.

“Fine…” Tony moaned dejectedly. He paused then asked, “You’re not going to drop this, are you? I’m going to have to check in on my kid, aren’t I?”

“Yes,” Steve replied.

Tony sighed heavily then asked, “Can I get a kiss, at least?”

Steve smoothed back the damp hair on his forehead and lightly kissed him there.

“You bastard, that's not what I meant,” Tony hissed but shakily smiled at him all the same. Steve ran his thumbs over Tony’s cheeks, washing away the tears he did not know he had shed.

“You are going to be fine,” Steve whispered and Tony tried to believe his words.

19 years was a long time...He didn't know what he was going to find and that was the most frightening part. What had become of his son in all of those years? How different was he from Tony? How much happier was he without him?...and how much better off was he without Tony in his life?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> When I tried to look up Peter Parker's birthday the best I could find was that it was in August. I choose August 20th in the end because it is Andrew Garfield's birthday so it was a win-win! :)


	2. The Mask

After the shower, a handful of aspirin, and two cups of coffee, Tony and Steve sat down together in their bedroom. Steve grasped Tony’s hand encouragingly and Tony held onto it as if it was his final lifeline.

“Jarvis,” Tony stated. “Please pull up everything you have on Peter Parker.”

“Yes, Sir. I have been compiling a file since I learned of his existence years prior. Would you like to start with the current information or from the beginning?”

Tony gulped, “Let’s start with his health. He’s alive, right?”

“Yes, Sir,” Jarvis replied. “Master Parker is very healthy and has never been hospitalized.”

“Well…That’s good,” Tony stated, with a nod. He was alive; there was one less thing Tony had to worry about. He asked, “What about his grades?”

“Master Parker has had all A’s in all subject since Elementary School. He has above average intelligence and excels in the sciences. He graduated from Midtown High last year, would you like to see his graduation photo?”

Jarvis displayed them without his having to answer. Images were projected from one of Jarvis’s cameras on to the wall opposite where they were sitting. All of the images were from the graduation and all of them centered on a single person. Tony gripped Steve’s hand harder as he saw his son for the first time in his life. He was pale and lanky like Tony and had Tony’s dark hair and Tony’s hazel eyes and Tony’s sly grin. _He looked just like Tony_. How could Peter or anyone else not know he was Tony’s son?! He was a dead ringer for him!

Tony's heart seized as his powerful emotions built up to quickly for him. This was his son. He was a young man now and missed out on _so_ much of his life. Tony bit down on his lips to keep them from trembling as his tremendous emotions threatened to spew out.

“Is he wearing a backpack as he’s accepting his diploma?” Steve asked, pointing to one of the pictures.

“He’s a busy guy, just like his dad,” Tony joked huskily, when he saw the image. Steve's eyes broke away from the images and he looked down to Tony. Tony tried to clear his throat but he couldn't stop the moisture in his eyes from gathering. He smiled reassuringly to his boyfriend and then purposely looked back to the wall. His eyes fell on another picture and he drew Steve’s attention to it.

“Look, he likes blondes too,” Tony said, pointing to the picture of Peter and a blonde girl proudly holding up their diplomas with their arms around each other. She was beautiful and, by the way Peter held her, Tony could tell she was special to him.

“ _Wait_ ,” Steve suddenly said. “This was taken in New York. That’s the Hudson in the background!”

Tony’s eyes widened as he recognized the river and the familiar cityscape in the backdrop. Peter was in New York. He could have walked past him on the street and would have never known. Weren’t Richard and Mary talking about moving to Virginia?! What were they doing in New York??

As if he could read his mind, Jarvis answered his questions.

“Yes, Master Rogers,” Jarvis confirmed. “He currently lives in Queens with his aunt, May Parker.” All the images from the ceremony but one disappeared from the wall and that single image grew to encompass the entire wall. It was of Peter and an older woman with brown hair, streaked with grey, who Tony recognized as the wife of Tony’s eldest cousin, Ben Parker.

“W-With his aunt?” Tony garbled in confusion. This was already too much information. He could not handle it. He was still reeling over the idea of Peter practically living right down the block. Why was he living with his aunt??

“Master Parker was orphaned at age five,” Jarvis stated. “Richard and Mary Parker died in a plane accident.” A news article replaced the picture of Peter and his aunt. The headline read: Prominent Scientist Couple Killed in Plane Crash. There was a black and white grainy image of the destroyed plane. Jarvis added, “His uncle, Ben Parker, also recently passed.” Another article appeared, smaller than the last, titled: Mugging Gone Wrong.

Steve’s hand tightened on his and Tony gasped, “He was five – oh god – he was five. _Fourteen years_ —fourteen years he’s been alone.”

“He had his aunt and, for a while, his uncle,” Steve whispered, trying to reassure him.

“I’m a bastard,” Tony hissed. “I should have kept tags on them. I did not even know my own cousins were dead! I’m horrible! I’m a horrible, horrible person! He is going to despise me!”

“No, he won’t,” Steve interceded, turning to him and placing his other hand over their joined hands.

“Sir,” Jarvis interjected. “The Parker family cut all ties from the Starks after your affair. They did not want you to be a part of any of the funerals. Even with Master Ben Parker’s murder his wife was adamant about keeping you misinformed. It was not your fault.”

“The first thing he’s going to ask me will be: Where the hell was I?” Tony hissed, bordering on hysteria. He was crying but didn't even notice thanks to this horrendous news. “And what am I supposed to say? ‘Oh, I was avoiding you by sleeping with random strangers and being an alcoholic!’ He’ll love to hear that!”

"You don't do that anymore," Steve argued. "You are in a stable relationship and, for the most part, have given up on drinking..."

"That doesn't matter," Tony retorted bitterly. All Peter would focus on were the bad years...It was what everyone did...

Steve sighed and said, “Jarvis, can you please send Peter’s address to my phone?”

“Yes, Master Rogers,” Jarvis replied immediately.

Steve’s phone vibrated on his bedside table.

“Wh-What are you doing?!” Tony demanded.

“It is going to be bad, Tony,” Steve stated in his commanding Captain America voice. “But we can’t push this off because he might be upset. The longer you wait the more upset he will become.” Steve grasped his arm tightly and stated, “I will be with you every step of the way. You won’t be alone.”

“I can’t do this,” Tony gasped. He wanted a scotch instead. Scotch is good. Scotch does not get mad at you or is upset about being related to you. Scotch is only your friend, your amazingly, drinkable friend who makes you feel like you are on top of the world after enough sips.

Steve embraced him tightly and said, “Yes, you can.”

Steve's hold knocked him out of his fix as he relaxed into his warm arms. Scotch had nothing on Steve. Steve was more than his friend, _he was the love of his life_. He made Tony feel like he was the most important being in the universe. He was Tony's anchor. He was the best thing he'd ever had in his life because he made sure Tony was happy. And it was obvious his next goal in the helping Tony list...

“Oh God, we are going to do this…This is going to suck ass,” Tony groaned. “I need a fucking coffee.”

He felt Steve smile against his neck and he whisper, “There’s the Tony I love.”

\---

Peter shut the door to his room with a heavy sigh. His entire body ached and he had a shallow cut on his forehead which had finally stopped bleeding.

He was so relieved that his Aunt May was already in bed when he got home. He hoped, with his advanced healing factor, the cut would be gone by morning. If it was not, he had going to come up with another lie about what happened to him.

“Maybe I should use pushed by a bike messenger, I haven’t used that one in a while,” Peter mumbled to himself. He dropped his backpack, one of the fingers to his Spider-Man costume was sticking out from between the zippers but he did not notice.

The cut did not really bug him, the lie bugged him. Sadly, he was used to it, however, what really bugged him was that he was going to have to sew up his mask _again_. His fingers were already stinging as he imagined the needle pricking him. God, he hated it. He had to do it more often now that…that Gwen was gone. Peter frowned and his eyes went to the picture frame on his desk. It contained a photo of him and Gwen laughing without a care in the world.

His heart squeezed painfully as he looked at her. A year had gone by since her passing but it still hurt. He had only just recently had the heart to go out and be Spider-Man again. Before that he could barely look at the mask, much less wear it.

Peter stepped back from the photo and let himself fall back onto his bed. After he landed, he kicked off his shoes then did the same with his jeans (there was something nasty on the bottom left cuff which he did not want in the bed).

He closed his eyes and the events of the day filtered quickly through his head.

He woke up with Aunt May wishing him a happy birthday and had a platter of his favorite blueberry pancakes for breakfast. He went out, saying he was meeting up with some friends, but in actuality he patrolled the city as Spider-Man. He did that until dinner. He came back home and had dinner with Aunt May, some neighbors, and a couple of childhood friends from the neighborhood.

Gwen and Harry were the only people he would have wanted to spend his birthday with, with the exception of his Aunt May, but he knew that would not be happening anytime soon.

The dinner was nice and there was a chocolate cake afterwards and everyone sang to him. He was given presents, mostly gift cards, but his aunt got him a new camera which was all he really wanted. He graciously thanked her and thanked God for such an amazing woman.

After dinner, he told Aunt May he was meeting up with some friends in the city to celebrate some more. She believed him and told him to be quiet when he came in.

If only every night were so easy…

With his overly exhausted body, sleep was quick to claim him. He fell asleep dreaming of chocolate cake and Gwen repeatedly breaking her neck on the hard cement floor.

\---

Peter woke late the next morning and he felt somewhat rejuvenated. His Aunt May let him sleep in to 11:43 a.m. which was amazing in itself. He stretched, relishing the feeling in his well slept body. He was starting another semester at NYU next week and he was going to be getting little to no sleep during that time. He was doing a light course load this semester so he was hoping it will not be too bad. Fingers crossed.

He stumbled out of bed and paused in from of his mirror. No trace of the cut remained on his forehead, he was safe. He licked his thumb and rubbed the area for good measure. What little blood that had remained was wiped away and he felt safe enough to venture outside his room. He went straight to the kitchen and found his aunt cleaning the stove.

“Morning, Aunt May,” he said as he went to the pantry.

“You mean, Good Afternoon,” she corrected him, not pausing in her work.

“Eh, I’ve got ten minutes to twelve. I think I have a valid enough argument to say it’s still morning,” Peter replied with a smirk to the older woman’s back.

May shook her head and mumbled something about teenagers under her breath. Peter smirked but said no more. He pulled out some cereal and, in no time, was eating at the table. He watched his aunt’s back as she finished her cleaning then asked her, “What are you doing today?”

“Work,” she replied and it was the answer Peter expected. It seemed all she did was work. Even with Peter’s scholarship, there was an enormous amount of money need for his schooling. Textbooks and supplies for a science degree cost a fortune! They were asking over fifty dollars for a single beaker alone! A little container of glass! It probably only cost a dollar to make!

Peter sighed heavily thinking of the debt he and his aunt were getting into. Maybe he shouldn’t have such a light course load…the longer he was there equated to a longer bill.

His aunt was talking to him but he did not notice until she waved her hand in front of his face. He jerked back in surprise and focused on her patient face.

She repeated, “I will be back by eight, promise not to burn the house down?”

Peter grinned and said, “No promises.”

May rolled her eyes and bent down to kiss him on the forehead. She whispered, “I will see you later.”

“Bye,” Peter said, shaking his spoon in a wave. His aunt smiled at him then picked up her bags and keys and left Peter alone.

Peter finished his food and then cleaned out the bowl in the sink.

He went straight to his backpack and pulled out the torn mask. He took a needle and thread out of his desk and then went to the living room. He turned on the television and settled on the couch with mask and threaded the needle. The process for repairing his mask was a slow one and Peter used the television program to keep his mind busy. Paying attention to the program and the stitching kept him from growing too bored.

The doorbell rang when he was halfway done with the repair.

“Crap,” Peter muttered. He stuck the mask under a pillow to hide it and stabbed the needle into the cushion beside it. He got up and went to the front door. He flexed his fingers as he walked, getting rid of the stiffness from sewing.

He was assuming it was either a neighbor, a solicitor, or a preacher at his door so, when he looked through the peephole in his door, he was slightly surprised. Outside stood two men in dark shades and baseball caps.

Peter narrowed his eyes in suspicion. These two were obviously concealing their identities. Peter’s Spidey-Sense was not going off so they were not an immediate danger to him but that did not mean he had to trust them.

Peter clenched his fist at his side and opened the door.

“Hello?” Peter said. With the door open, he was better able to see the individuals who rang the doorbell. One was well over six feet, had a burly build, and blond hair. Blondie became his immediate nickname.

The other was only a little taller than Peter, which was not saying much, and had a normal physique compared to his overly muscular companion, and had dark brown hair. As soon as Peter opened the door, he began to twitch and Twitchy became his nickname.

A span of silence stretched between them, in which, Blondie and Twitchy just stared at him.

Feeling awkward, Peter asked, “Can I help you with something?”

Blondie cleared his throat and looked from Peter to Twitchy then back to Peter again. He said, “Hem, yes…well, we were wondering if we could speak with you, Peter. Are-Are you alone right now?” Blondie tried to look over Peter’s shoulder to see if anyone was there. Peter automatically closed his door some to limit Blondie’s view.

Peter’s eyebrows rose when they said his name. The weirdness factor rose to defcon-ten.

“Uh, that’s not your business,” he stated. “Who are you? What do you want?”

Blondie glanced and Twitchy. Twitchy looked like he was going to be sick.

Blondie cleared his throat and removed his cap and glasses. He said somewhat shyly, “I don’t know if you recognize me-.”

 _“OHMYGODYOU’RECAPTAINAMERICA,”_ came spewing out of Peter’s mouth as he recognized Steve Rogers, Captain America and the first Avenger. Of course Peter recognized him! Everybody knew who he was! He was a living legend and he was standing at his front door! Peter reiterated when he saw the shocked, confused look on the Captain’s face. “Yes,” he said, speaking more slowly and calmly. “Yes, I recognize you.”

“And this is my colleague, Tony Stark,” Steve said, motioning to Twitchy. Twitchy removed his baseball cap but left his glasses on, nonetheless, Peter now recognized him as the infamous Tony Stark, billionaire, inventor, and Avenger. Peter’s jaw dropped upon the second reveal. Tony Stark was just as famous as Steve Rogers. Not only was he a genius, famed for one-of-a-kind inventions, but he was also the first superhero to disclose his identity to the world. He was one of the reasons Peter felt brave enough to make a costume and go out superheroing himself.

“H-Hey,” Tony mumbled.

“H-Hey,” Peter squeaked. Tony Stark, his idol, was standing at his front door and Peter was in his Hulk boxers. He felt a red blush of mortification stain his cheeks and he asked, “Wh-What are you two doing here?”

Steve and Tony exchanged loaded glances then simultaneously looked back to Peter.

Steve asked, “Is there a chance we could speak in private? Are you home alone right now?”

“Yeah!” Peter gasped, just realizing how peculiar it might have seemed to his neighbors if they saw Captain America and Iron Man standing on his front porch. He opened his door and ushered them in, saying, “Come in! Come in!”

Steve stepped in first and said, “Thank you.”

Tony followed quickly behind and slid off his glasses once he was inside. They both immediately went to studying the living room and Peter self-consciously hoped it looked alright. Peter closed the door behind them and bolted it shut.

He paused with his hands still on the door as he processed the situation he was in. Ever since he realized who they really were, his mind had been racing, trying to come up with a reason as to why these incredible people just stepped into his life and only one plausible reason came to him: They knew he was Spider-Man.

“Is your aunt out?” Steve asked casually.

“Yes…” Peter answered slowly as he turned away from the door. They knew about his aunt. They must have known everything about him. SHEILD probably had an entire file on him by now. He did not know if he should feel proud or scared.

Peter ran his hand through his hair and sighed.

 _You wanted to be a hero_ , he reminded himself. Now…Was he being scouted for the big leagues or run out of town?

He straightened his back then met both of their gazes bravely. Either way, he would show them that Spider-Man was someone who was just as strong as them and did not flinch in the face of whatever trial they presented him.

“I know why you’re here,” Peter stated and both men froze.

“Y-You do?” Tony gasped.

Peter nodded then wordlessly padded over to the couch and slid his mask out from beneath the pillow. Both of the men’s eyes grew large and equal looks of shock filtered across their faces. They probably assumed he would try to deny it. He asked, “So how long have you known I was Spider-Man?”

Their reactions were totally not what he had expected. Steve Roger’s jaw dropped. Tony Stark staggered backwards until he fell back heavily onto the recliner behind him.

“I think I need a scotch,” Tony Stark stated, earnestly.


	3. Of Fathers and Sons

“You…You did not know,” Peter whispered, his voice was barely audible to Tony.

Tony stared at the mask clutched in his son’s hands and tried to keep from laughing. His illegitimate son looked just like him, was a genius in the making like him, _and_ was a superhero like him. Who needed DNA tests? The kid was practically his clone!

Tony knew little of Spider-Man. He was a vigilante who handled mostly small crime. Whenever the Avengers were saving the world other than in New York, (yes, Tony could admit the world did not revolve around New York) Spider-Man went head-to-head with the big villains. His first one had been a Lizard man, Tony only remembered that because Dr. Connors had been a colleague and he had been horrified by what happened to him. More recently he had fought with Electro, who had put Jarvis offline for over an hour and scared Tony to death. He had feared the AI received permanent damage but, luckily, the fail-safes worked and Jarvis had been fine.

He never paid Spider-Man much mind. He was not a part of the Avengers nor were his powers mechanical so he was not part of Tony’s field of interest.

Now he wanted to know every little thing about Spider-Man.

“Are you a mutant?” Was the first question that came out of Tony’s mouth.

“N-No!” Peter strangled the mask in his hands and repeated, “You did not know. Oh my God, you really did not know. You did not know and I just told you. I did not even wait for you guys to…Oh my God, I told you.”

Peter fell back onto the couch behind him and buried his head in his hands. The mask flopped over the top of his head and the angled, glass eyes glared at Tony.

“We had no idea,” Steve stated. He looked like he should sit down too but the only available space was next to Peter. Neither of them dared to approach him at that moment. They both knew how emotional and traumatizing revealing one’s identity was, but Tony could not imagine what Peter was going through under these circumstances.

“Wait…” Peter raised his head and looked suspiciously at Tony and Steve. He asked, “Then why are you two here?”

“Crap.” The word escaped Tony before he could smother it. Steve shot him a dirty look and Tony shrugged sheepishly.

Steve cleared his throat, glanced at Tony, and said, “We...were wondering if you knew the truth about your birth?”

“My birth?” Peter asked, raising a single brow in confusion. “I’m sorry, I don’t know what you are talking about…Was I born under a symbolic heroic eclipse or something?”

“No…Not that I know of,” Steve replied with a small smile. Steve looked to Tony expectantly and Tony sighed heavily.

Here we go.

“Your birthfather,” Tony stated, wondering how much he knew. His fingers dug into the chair arms and he asked, “Did anyone tell you about him?”

Peter’s eyes immediately narrowed and he glanced warily between the two superheroes. He stated, “No one needed to tell me about him. He raised me until he died.”

Tony winced internally. This was going to be bad.

“...No, he did not,” Tony replied carefully. “I know this may sound shocking but Richard Parker was not your birthfather. Your birthfather was disallowed involvement in your life.”

“My birthfather is Richard Parker and he was very much a part of my life!” Peter stated, angrily getting to his feet.

“Richard Parker is not your birthfather…. _I…I_ _am_ _your_ _birthfather_ , _Peter_ ,” Tony stated. It felt great to get the truth out and to no longer be jumping around it. But, at the same time, he never felt more scared by it. How would his son react?

Peter inhaled sharply and took a step away from him, causing his fear to escalate. 

Peter quickly recovered from the shock, rolled his eyes, and snorted, “Yeah, right, where are the cameras? Funny, but seriously, what are you doing here?”

Tony looked to Steve desperately. How was he supposed to convince Peter? His entire life he believed Richard was his father. He and Steve were strangers to Peter. Why should Peter believe them?

Steve bit down on his lip and stated, “Peter, look at Tony. _Really look at him_. You two look exactly like each other.”

Upon Steve’s suggestion, Peter looked speculatively at Tony. At first, he seemed to do it only to humor them but as he studied Tony a change came over Peter. He originally had his hip jutted to the side and was tapping his foot but he suddenly straightened and stopped tapping. He squinted his eyes as if to fix his vision and then he opened his eyes so wide his eyes looked like they would pop out of his head. Alarm flooded his features. He wrapped his arms across his chest and his knuckles turned white from the tight grip he had on his arms.

“Do you see it?” Steve implored, “ _Tony is your father_.”

“That is absolutely impossible,” Peter stated. “I know for a _fact_ that R-Richard is my birthfather! Wha—Why are you doing this?!” Peter looked between them angrily with hurt shadowed in his eyes. He continued, “Is this some sick game you guys play on poor kids? Some fucked up Cinderella story?!”

Tony got to his feet and reached out to him. He gasped, “Peter-!”

Peter jumped away from him, going over the couch and landing on the side of the opposite wall. He stuck to the wall like glue. There was no questioning he was Spider-Man now.

“ _GET OUT OF MY HOUSE_!” Peter demanded, his face was twisted with anger.

“Peter, please, if you will just let us explain,” Steve said, stepping up to the boy on the wall.

 _“No!_ If Richard was not my birthfather I would be dead right now, you hear me? _Dead_! What turned me into Spider-Man, was made by my father, with his DNA! If anyone, but a relative, used it, it would kill them! Richard Parker is my father,” Peter stated, he looked to Tony and his brows knitted together. He repeated to Tony with venom in his voice, “Richard is my father, _not_ _you_.”

“Richard is a relative,” Tony whispered hoarsely, his throat was suddenly dry. He did not want to think about the possibility of Peter dying too. “He was my cousin. We share the same grandparents from my mother’s side of the family. You are related by blood, just not as closely as you thought you were.”

“Get out of my house,” Peter snarled. “I am not going to listen to this, even if it comes from Captain America and Iron Man.”

“Peter—!” Steve began but Tony put a hand on his arm. This was the last thing Tony wanted, to see all of that hate and anger directed at him through his son's eyes. Tony felt like his very soul was crumbling. His son was right there, in front of them, but he was miles away. Peter didn't want him there. It was so obvious and devastating and Tony couldn't stay there anymore to see that ire grow. Even Steve wouldn't be able to save Tony if he stayed there any longer with Peter looking at him like that...

“No, let’s go,” he whispered, feeling like a coward, and Steve’s shoulders drooped.

“Okay,” he whispered to Tony. Steve looked to Peter, still on the wall, and said, “I’m going to leave my card here, call anytime.” He slid a business card out of his pocket and put it on the sofa.

Tony and Steve shuffled over to the front door, putting on their hats and glasses to hide their identities from the general public.

Tony paused by the front door and turned to Peter. He said, “Just ask May about it. Tell her I was here. She hates my guts but she will tell you the truth. I’m willing to talk, all you need to do is call that number.” He motioned to the card Steve left on the sofa.

Before Peter could say anything, Tony quickly stepped outside. A little glimmer of hope flickered inside him, praying Peter would call and the next time they saw each other, his eyes wouldn't be filled with hate. It was a ginormous wish and Tony felt stupid for thinking it. The situation couldn't be worse.

Tony exited first, followed by Steve who closed the door after them. Tony flinched slightly when he heard the near automatic click as Peter must have raced to lock the door after them. 

They walked a few feet toward the car before Tony finally found his voice and sarcastically stated, “Well, that went better than I expected.”

\---

Peter jumped off the wall and locked the door as soon as the men closed the door. His heart was racing in his chest and he felt like he had run several miles. He had been absolutely shocked that the superheroes had come to his house, then he had been devastated when he inadvertently revealed his identity, and then pissed when they insistently told him Tony Stark was his father.

Peter looked to his side at the mirror on the wall and saw Tony Stark staring back at him in the reflection. His gaze shot down and shame burned in his gut.

Richard Parker was his father, not Tony Stark.

It was just a coincidence that he and Tony shared similar features…and had the same hair color, the same eye color, the same chin, and…

It was just a coincidence.

Nonetheless, Peter found himself going into the hallway closet where Aunt May had stored their photo albums and the boxes of loose photos. He went to the bottom of the pile and pulled out the beige album.

He took it over to the couch and sat down, placing the album on his lap. He slowly opened it. The first picture was of his parents laughing and wearing green, foam crowns with the statue of liberty in the background. Peter sighed and turned the page. There were more photos of his parents. Some were just of them, some were taken with people he did not know, some were with his Aunt May or Uncle Ben. He kept turning the pages until he came across the photo he was looking for. With every page, his guilt grew. He could not believe he was doing this.

The picture he was looking for was a professional one of his father in a suit. It was a large photo and it must have been 8 x10 inches. It was the clearest out of all the photos in the album with its high quality and it was the closest thing Peter had to actually looking at him.

Peter slid the photo out of the album and held it up to the light. From that moment in the past, his father unknowingly smiled at him. Peter searched his father’s face, looking for anything he could call his own but saw nothing. _Nothing_.

He never searched for familiar characteristics with father before because he never once considered the fact that they might not be related. He had always assumed his dark hair and hazel eyes came from one of his deceased grandparents...

Peter glanced up at the recliner and, for a second, saw the shadow of Tony Stark sitting there. The ghost of his hazel eyes stared at Peter morosely.

Peter shuddered.

Tony’s hazel eyes looked just like the eyes Peter stared at every day in the mirror.

Peter’s gaze snapped back to the photo of his father and desperately searched for anything recognizable.

 _Nothing again_.

Peter placed the photo back in the album and closed it.

He laid the album on top of Steve Roger’s business card and then got off the couch. He went straight to his room, tossed his mask on his bed, and then opened his laptop. The internet tab was already open with an article about applied sciences which he wanted to read. Peter ignored it and typed into his search box: ‘Parker and Stark.’

He had hoped nothing credible would pop up. Instead, millions of search results came up, along with just as many photos. The first thing he saw were five photos at the top of the page, with the option to view more, the first and largest of them were a picture of his father and a younger Tony Stark standing together in tuxes.

Peter felt like the world was collapsing beneath him.

His father knew Tony Stark. Why didn't he know that? Why did no one tell him?

Peter went back to the other page. The first link was of Tony Stark’s Wikipedia page and the second was his father’s Wikipedia page. He never knew his father had a Wikipedia page, he never thought he was famous enough to have one!

He clicked on his father’s and began to read.

Richard Parker had started his career in his second family’s business, Stark Industries. He moved up quickly in the biological sector and eventually became to head of the department. What made him so renown was when he partnered with Norman Osborn, bought out the department, and cut all ties with Stark Industries nearly two decades ago.

The article commented on the media speculation that ensued. It was speculated that the resentment between Richard Parker and Tony Stark grew as a result of Parker buying out the biological department of Stark Industries, forever destroying the foothold Stark Industries had in the biological sector.

Richard Parker and Tony Stark reportedly had a physical altercation at the labs. After that, they were never seen together in public again.

Over five years later, Richard and Mary Parker died in a plane accident and their department was bought out by their partner company, Oscorp Industries. Stark Industries did not even try to attempt buy back their old biologic department. The article stated that Stark Industries was no longer interested biological sciences and, at the time, was the only interested in expanding their industrial weapons sector.

From there his father’s internet history ended. A history Peter never knew existed because he never thought to search. He believed his aunt when she said his parents were plain scientists who had yet to get a foot up in the world. What else had she not told him?

Peter had to make sure and read several more articles. Most of them were about the Parker takeover of Stark Industries’ biological department and the others were gossip rags about the fight between Richard Parker and Tony Stark. Those articles came with pictures of both men from far away. Tony Stark had a black eye and Peter’s father had a cut lip.

The media might have been wrong about why Richard and Tony fought...It would have been right around the time his mother was pregnant with him and his father might have taken the biological sector out of spite. That is, if Tony Stark’s story was true… Peter was not going to admit it was but… Things did not make sense, like the vital fact that he did not know any of this.

Why would his aunt and uncle keep this from him?

Peter went back downstairs and pulled his father’s photo out of the album. He searched, looking for any minute detail of similarity, but could not find a single. Peter’s stomach clenched uneasily and a resolve built within him. He jumped to his feet and ran over to the closet.

\---

When his aunt walked in the door, she came home to Peter sitting on the couch with all the photo albums and boxes of photos of his parents spread out in front of him. She paused with a blank look of shock on her face. She questionably looked at him and he desperately asked, “Is Richard Parker really my father?”

“Wha-?” She gasped.

“Tony Stark was here,” Peter stated and his aunt’s jaw dropped and horror clouded her eyes.

She should not be reacting like that. She should be shocked not horrified.

Aunt May always hated superheroes, including the Avengers. She claimed it was because she thought what they did should be left to the police, _the proper authorities_. It was half the reason Peter never told her he was Spider-Man.

But did she have other reasons for hating superheroes, namely the Avengers…namely Tony Stark?

“Aunt May-?” Peter implored, desperation lacing his voice.

His aunt’s eyes slowly ran over the photos of his father and then she gradually sat down on the recliner Tony Stark sat in hours prior.

“Peter,” she whispered, her voice filled with distress. “Peter, your father, Richard, he raised you, he loved you, but…”

She stopped and Peter could not look at her. His eyes focused on Richard’s picture and he did not look away. With a breaking heart, he finished what she was going to say, something Peter had been weakly denying since Tony Stark stepped into his life, “—But he is not my biological father. Is he?”

“…No, Peter,” she replied. “But he is more of a father in the five years he raised you than that man would be in a lifetime.”

Peter’s shoulders fell and all his weak denials crumbled away from him like a landslide.

Tony Stark was his father.

“Why did you never tell me?” Peter asked. Richard Parker’s image blurred as tears came to his eyes. Everything he knew was a lie. He wrapped his arms around himself and wished with all his damaged heart that it was Gwen holding him and not himself.

“Your parents made your uncle and I swear to keep it a secret,” his aunt hissed, her voice was tight and she sounded on the verge of tears.

“Why would they do that?!” Peter demanded. He broke his eyes away from the photo and looked to his aunt. Her hand was over her mouth and her eyes were glassy.

“I don’t know, Peter,” she whispered. “We always assumed it was because he was a drunk, that he was a philanderer, that he would not have been a positive influence in your life! When you were born Tony did not care! He never tried to see or find you! Your parents did not want that man near you!”

“He’s different now,” Peter whispered as he thought of the man who had stepped into his life, hours earlier. “Ever since the Avengers…”

“That is his public persona, Peter,” Aunt May whispered gently. “SHIELD probably made him act that way to boost the public image of the Avengers. I know him, Peter. He never cared about anyone but himself. Reaching out to you is probably another PR move. He’ll probably offer to pay for our home, pay for your schooling, pay for anything your heart desired and you’ll become the male version of the little Orphan Annie. The media will eat it up and praise Tony for his charity. Don’t fall for it Peter. He’s really a monster.”

Peter’s chest clenched painfully. He did not want to hear that. He wanted to hear some outlandish truth that explained the entire situation in a way that ended with a happy fairytale ending. He did not want to admit it he wanted to believe that maybe…just maybe, he could have a father again. 

He shot down the thought as soon as it appeared. Tony Stark wasn't his father. He had no part in Peter's life and his sudden emergence in it wouldn't change that. His aunt was probably right...This was all probably a publicity stunt.

He had no relationship with the man but, such a parental betrayal, felt like a dagger to the heart. That had to be the reason otherwise why did he never reach out to Peter until now? Did he even care about him?

He bit down on his lip and got to his feet. Who was he kidding? This was his life, filled with pain, regret, and misfortune. His aunt’s words rang true, this was just going to be another hurt he was going to have to endure.

He walked past his aunt and she got to her feet. She reached out to him and he flinched away.

“Peter?” She asked.

“I need to be alone, Aunt May,” he whispered. She did not say another word and he went upstairs. He locked his bedroom door then put Steve Roger’s crumbled business card on his desk.

He laid down on his bed and wrapped his arms around himself. He tried to pretend Gwen was by his side. He thought back to the last time she was in his bed, her light blonde locks were spread out over his pillow and across his arm, the smell of her lavender perfume overriding all other smells, her limbs tangled with his, her hot breathe mixed with his own, their naked bodies pressed to each other, the feeling of being one…and thinking that he was going to spend the rest of his life with her...

His eyes snapped open. 

That life was gone. Just as Richard Parker's son was now gone.

And now who was left in his wake? 

Who was Peter Parker? 

And who was he going to be tomorrow? 

The same person...or the headliner for every major news organization? 

Peter felt ill at the thought. Would Tony Stark release this? Even with the negative reaction he got from Peter?

Peter spent the rest of the night pacing his room and periodically looking at the crumbled business card on his desk. 

He worried, jumped to conclusions, internally bargained with invisible people, and...smothered any ridiculous motions that might have come up in his musings. 

\---

Peter barely got any sleep and was awake at 4 a.m. when the newspaper was delivered. As soon as he heard the paper slap the cement, he was running outside. He tore open the paper and was finally able to breathe when he saw the headliner was about the Wikileaks scandal. He tore through the rest of the paper but nothing mentioned him, Tony Stark, or the rest of the Avengers. 

He had a Google alert set up for any pings about him or Tony Stark all night but nothing was posted online either. 

Was Stark waiting for him to make the next move? 

 _What did he want from Peter_?

Peter thought of the crumpled card in his bedroom again and he clenched the newspaper tightly between his fists. 

Maybe he should give Steve Rogers a call after all... 


	4. Coffee

Tony could not sleep a wink. The disgust on Peter’s face kept replaying in his mind.

 _He_ was the cause of that disgust.

His son hated him.

He could barely feel Steve’s warmth against his back or the weight of his arms embracing him. Yet his scent, like fresh cotton, was all that kept him from tipping over the edge and go searching for a scotch. And _Goddamnit,_ he freaking needed a scotch like his life depended on it.

They shouldn't have gone looking for Peter. 

Tony’s eyes flickered up and saw it was 4:42 a.m. He hadn't gotten a wink of sleep. He groaned lightly, turned in Steve’s arms, and pressed his face against his chest. Steve mumbled something and wrapped his arms around him tighter. God, he was perfect. Why did he love Tony? How did he get so lucky to win over Steve ‘Fucking-Fantastic’ Rogers?

Tony pressed his nose into the dip of Steve’s pectorals. _Yes, the dip_ , his man even had the muscle structure of Adonis! The curve ratio of his ass alone was enough to bring Tony to his knees.

He inhaled deeply taking in Steve’s pure scent. Beneath the cotton smell left by his shirts, he smelt the salty tang of the gym, the leather of his uniform, and the crisp scent that was innately Steve. A wave of ease washed over him. Steve was all around him, his warmth, his scent, his touch… He was everything to Tony and he probably did not know how safe he made him feel. It was one hundred times better than the allure of scotch.

Tony nuzzled his face into Steve’s chest, rested his cheek against his heart, and he felt it beat lightly beneath Steve’s skin. Tony hummed in approval and the sound vibrated into Steve’s flesh.

Steve must have been awakened by his movement because he suddenly ran his fingers through Tony’s hair and sleepily murmured, “Can’t sleep?”

“What is that?” Tony asked and was rewarded with a groan from Steve. He grinned and said, “No, really tell me what it is, the concept escapes me.”

“Tony-,” Steve groaned.

“Is it a type of food?”

“You are not doing this at this hour,” Steve moaned. Steve lifted one of his arms off Tony’s side and wearily rubbed his face.

Tony’s grin slowly fell and then he whispered seriously, “Every time I close my eyes, I see Peter screaming at me.”

Steve froze upon his words. He gently laid his arm back over Tony and pulled him in tightly for a snug embrace.

Tony tried to relax against him but Steve was suddenly kissing him. First, gently on the top of his head, but then he pulled Tony’s head back and his lips trailed down his face until he reached his mouth. Steve’s mouth was hot and wet and he softly but thoroughly kissed Tony, making his toes curl. 

“Don’t think about it,” Steve whispered against his lips. He kissed the corner of his mouth, then the corner of his jaw, and then he started to make his way down his neck. His hands trailed over Tony's body, making him arch and moan in appreciation. Steve murmured, “Think only about this right now – about me. Let me make you so tired, you fall asleep, thinking only of us.”

Steve licked Tony's nipple and whispered hoarsely, “Keep those lips going southward and I will soon not be able to tell you my own name."

He dug his fingers into Steve's blond hair and pushed him downward, encouraging Steve to go down further to where his already hard cock was waiting for him. He rubbed his arousal against Steve’s leg to further get his point across.

Steve chuckled, murmured with an agreeing sound, and started to trail his kisses down his chest, then his waist, pausing to lick his belly button, and then…

“Oh, Stars and Stripes,” Tony gasped, his fingers dug into Steve’s scalp as his hot mouth engulfed Tony’s cock. When Tony gasped, Steve’s only response was to suck him off harder.

\---

Tony groggily woke to the song of “Star Spangled Man” playing from Steve’s phone. Tony grinned into the covers as Steve groaned loudly.

“ _You changed it again_?” Steve hissed.

Tony opened his eyes to Steve glaring at him. His grin grew larger and he said, “But Cap, it’s your theme song! I have my theme song on my phone!”

Steve sat up and grumbled, “That’s different. You choose your theme song _and_ it was made by your favorite band.”

“It’s even better in concert,” Tony said. He sat up and watched Steve slide out of bed. He walked naked across the room and Tony was instantly hypnotized by his ass.

Steve picked up the phone and answered, “Hello, Steve Rogers speaking.”

“You mean Steve, Tony Stark’s sexy sex toy, Rogers, right?” Tony quipped and Steve turned around to give Tony a stern look but the burn in his glare was weakened by his blush. Tony nearly groaned at the sight. His boyfriend's blush was such a turn on.

“I’m sorry, I did not hear that,” Steve said to whoever was on the phone. Steve suddenly blanched and his wide eyes fastened on Tony. Steve whispered, “Peter? Is that you?”

Tony stiffened and then sat up sharply on the bed.

“Yes,” Steve suddenly said into the phone, answering a question from Peter. “No need to be so formal. Please, call me Steve.” He was talking to Peter Parker! He was talking to his son! Was it a good thing that he called so soon? That little glimmer of hope he felt yesterday grew into a massive inferno. What would Tony say to him?

Steve’s eyes fell to the ground and he put his hand on his hip. He repeated into the phone, “Yes.”

“Put him on speaker phone!” Tony hissed excitedly. Steve waved him away and Tony grumbled indignantly under his breath.

Steve blanched and hurriedly said, "We'd never do that!"

The urgency in Steve's voice instantly had Tony on edge. 

 _Crap_ , no, no, no that was not good.

"What's wrong??" Tony demanded in a hiss. 

Steve ignored him. He was completely focused on the phone call with Peter. Steve stated, "Tony wanted to meet you. He wants to know you. He doesn't care about media reaction. He cares about _you."_ He paused as Peter spoke and Steve glanced at Tony with a worried expression. Tony strangled his sheets. He wanted to command Jarvis to hack into Steve's phone so he could listen in but his voice wasn't working. It felt like his throat was closing up. Steve again spoke, "...He does care. That's why he hasn't contacted you in all of these years. He was respecting your parents' wishes..." 

There was another long pause as Peter spoke at length and Steve's face grew expressionless. Tony recognized that face. Steve was hiding his emotions behind a mask of his own blank face. It was worse than seeing him pale or urgent...It told Tony, Steve was trying to protect him from something painful. 

"Peter, that is not Tony. I suggest you get to know him before you start judging him."

The sound of Steve's voice alone scared him. He was furious on Tony's behalf. His anger at Peter, and the context behind his words, made Tony's heart drop and that little hope he had flicker and die. He fell back onto the bed and stared at the ceiling, willing his eyes to keep from spilling over. 

Steve walked over a few moments later and whispered, "He hung up."

His boyfriend slipped back into bed and Tony turned away from him so he wouldn't see his glassy eyes. 

Steve moved with him and pulled Tony against his chest, spooning him from behind. 

"We shouldn't have contacted him," Tony whispered.

Steve's only response was to hold him closer.

\---

Now that he knew Tony Stark was his father, his aunt seemed to be more lax in his business. When she asked him where he was going, he curtly replied, "Out," and she did not question him anymore about it.

Or maybe it was the fact that he was clearly upset. She probably assumed it had something to do with the role she played in the deception about his parentage and it made Peter feel like an ass for the way he responded to her. 

He'd only just reached the station when he finally called his Aunt May to apologize.

He sat on a bench and unloaded his heart, telling her how he didn't mean to treat her that way and how much he loved her. He never really told his aunt how he truly felt but he felt the need to do it now. He never got the chance with his parents nor Uncle Ben. Aunt May was the most important person in his life and he wanted her to know that, knowing neither of them would know what tomorrow may bring.

When he finished the phone call, he cradled the phone in his hands and stared at the screen. It showed his most recent calls and the lengths of the conversations. Aunt May was the latest and the unlisted contact beneath hers was Steve Rogers. 

He frowned at the number, remembering the shorter but equally emotional conversation he had with the super soldier. 

_I suggest you get to know him before you start judging him._

Get to know the man who had an affair with his mom and then left her once she got pregnant with Peter?

Yeah, right.

He locked his phone, got up from the bench, and walked over to the train. 

He tried to think of other things like his upcoming classes or where he should patrol tonight but his mind kept straying back to Tony Stark and Steve Rogers. 

He was pissed at them. They had turned his world upside down.

What made him angrier was the fury Rogers had vibed at him for thinking so low of Stark. 

This man, _from another century_ , was clearly defending Stark because of their close friendship and...and it pissed Peter off that he did not have that with his _own father._ He'd been denied a relationship with the man and it made Peter upset. And then it upset Peter even more that he was upset by that because Stark wasn't his father! Richard was! It was a constant circle of upset and anger that he could not find a release for.

As soon as he was in the city, Peter suited up and was looking for someone or something to unleash all of his pent up anger on.

He didn't know what he wanted...all he knew was that he needed to hit something. 

\---

"Sir, several images have recently been uploaded onto social media. Spider-Man is downtown. Would you like me to send you exact coordinates?"

Tony glanced at Steve and Steve stared back, waiting for Tony's response. 

Tony dropped his eyes and slumped back into the couch. He murmured, "No...No, I'm not going out..."

Steve sighed lightly and Tony felt even worse for his cowardice. 

He got off the couch and escaped to his lab, hoping to find solace there. 

Hours later, Steve finally followed him down and he announced his presence by stating, "He's heading back to Queens."

Tony did not acknowledge Steve's statement but his heart did feel a little lighter knowing Peter was not fighting on the streets anymore.  

Steve sat next to him on the bench and said, "It's your turn, you know."

"What?" Tony asked, not looking up from what he was working on. 

"You contacted him first, he reciprocated this morning, and now it's your turn to reach out again," Steve stated. 

Tony turned to his boyfriend with an incredulous expression and he gasped, "You _can't_ be serious." 

Steve nodded and said, "If you keep trying, Peter will see you care." 

"If I keep trying, Peter will get annoyed with me and will hate me more," he replied smartly and, internally, it hurt to think his own son would hate him so. His thoughts strayed to his own father and their rocky relationship and Tony grew more depressed. He never wanted this. He had wanted to do better than Howard and now he was doing _so, so_ much worse.

"You'll never know unless you try," Steve whispered. When Tony said nothing, Steve murmured, "This is the part where you throw back your head and reluctantly agree with me."

Tony elbowed his side and murmured, "Shut up."

An hour later, after much pressure from Steve, Tony was alone in his workshop staring at a video hologram of himself, wondering what the hell he was supposed to say.

"Sorry for telling you, you are my son?" In Peter's eyes, he'd see Tony as being sorry for telling and that he regretted it now...and thereby pushing Peter away further.

"Sorry for letting you slip on the secret identity deal?" He didn't mean for it to happen but he bet Peter also blamed him for what happened!!

"Sorry about your mom, she did love Richard and didn't love me"...i.e. she slept around which, no, so not true but Peter would totally read it that way.

Tony threw back his head and groaned, "Ughhhh."

How was he supposed to do this??

"Jarvis, how do I have a heart-to-heart with my son through a video message?" 

"You can try contacting him, Sir," his AI replied smartly.

"Wow. Really helpful. Glad I spent all that money on your advanced systems," Tony stated sarcastically.

"Sir, were you able to tell him everything you wanted in your first meeting?" Jarvis asked.

Tony thought back to the emotional incidence and murmured, "No...No there was so much more."

"Out of all of it, what would you want to tell him the most?"

Tony dropped his head and stared at his hands as he said, "That a day hasn't gone by since he was born, when I haven't thought about him...Even when I was in the hands of the Ten Rings, and thought I was going to die, I was thinking of him and the man he'd be.... I told myself, when I got out, that I'd find him and tell him everything. But I was too much of a coward to follow through." Tony sighed heavily and continued, "...And I wish I had fought for him...and I had helped raise him...It will always be the biggest regret in my life. _I had abandoned my son, J_. I'm such a douchebag and I can easily see all my flaws so it's quite understandable that Peter can see them too and not want to be associated with them..." Tony shook his head and murmured, "I care for him and have had a piece of my life missing ever since I gave him up but he wouldn't believe me if I said that..."

Jarvis did not reply and Tony said, "Look...just find me a popular, lengthy Hallmark card and I'll read off that all sentimentality...I can't tell him all of that."

"I am sorry, Sir. I took the liberty of recording your response live and sent it to Master Parker."

Tony scrambled to his feet and hissed, "Take it back!!" 

"I cannot do so without breaking several state and federal laws."

"That's never stopped you before!" Tony panickingly gasped. Every second they wasted arguing abut this meant Peter was one second closer to view the video if he wasn't watching it already!

"It also goes against my prime directive, Sir," Jarvis stated.

"What being a pain in my ass?!"

"Caring for you, Sir," Jarvis replied. "I must do all that is within my power to better my creator's existence. Peter Parker's association will greatly increase your happiness, thus provide you with a better living environment."

Tony sat back down, overcome by emotion, he hissed, "You sentimental fool."

"I only want what is best for you, Sir."

\---

Peter had to watch the video five times before he finally was able to absorb the full context within. 

It took him nearly a week to watch it a second time. When he first watched it, he became angry. He thought Stark was trying to trick him into thinking he really didn't know about the recording so he didn't even watch the full video. Curiosity finally got the better of him in the end. 

When he watched it for a sixth time, he didn't know what to believe anymore. 

How much of this was true?

He looked from his computer screen to his phone. 

There was one way for him to get some questions answered...

\---

When the "Star Spangled Man" started to play, Tony groaned, "Noooo, don't answer."

Instead, Steve shifted in his arms and grumbled, "I literally just changed that back an hour ago..."

"Why do you think I was playing with your butt?" Tony countered.

They had been cuddling on the couch. Tony originally was sitting there, 'watching' the news but, in reality, was thinking dark thoughts about his son's silence. Steve seemed to have been able to read him and provided comfort in the best way he could. 

But now their cuddle session was coming to an end and Tony only wanted to get Steve back into his arms. 

Steve lightly kissed his cheek and pulled his phone out of his pocket. His voice was all business as he answered, "This is Steve Rogers."

Steve blinked in surprise and then gasped, "Peter?"

Tony sat up straighter and stared at the phone in Steve's hand like it was the Holy Grail. 

"Yes!" Steve said, sounding genuinely shocked to whatever Peter had said.

Tony so desperately wanted to listen in but, at the same time, was worried that if he did Peter would start going off on him again and he did not want to hear that from his son's lips. 

“Yes, that’s fine,” Steve said gently, he spared Tony a fleeting glance that was loaded with pity.

Tony's heart dropped.

Yeah, he wasn't going to listen in. He leaned away from Steve and looked at anything else except for his boyfriend and the phone he held. 

“Do you have somewhere in mind?” Steve asked and paused as Peter answered. He then said, “Alright, I will see you at two.”

He hung up the phone and silence stretched between them.

Tony felt deflated.

Peter did not want to talk to him and by the way Steve responded he knew he would not be seeing him anytime soon.

“Where are you meeting him?” Tony asked, peering at his lap.

“Coffee shop, down the street,” Steve replied.

“Did…Did he say anything about…me?”

Steve crossed the room and gently pulled Tony back into his embrace. He whispered, “He said he wanted to talk to me about the Avengers, about SHIELD, and yes, about you. He sounds scared, Tony… but we’re lucky he’s reaching out to us.”

“Out to you maybe,” Tony replied sulkily.

“He does not know how to act around you,” Steve said gently. He didn't react at all negatively to Tony’s pessimism, another sign of how perfect he was...

“Maybe this is a good thing,” Tony mumbled, thinking about the recording Jarvis made without his permission. 

“What do you mean?” Steve asked, perplexed.

“I don’t know how to act around him either.”

\---

Peter watched Captain Rogers for over ten minutes before he worked up the courage to approach him.

Rogers sat at a table outside the shop wearing the same baseball cap and sunglasses as he had when he had knocked on Peter's door. He had a small cup of coffee with him but he only held it and never once took a drink.

Peter also had a cup of coffee and how only taken a single sip since he got it. It was no longer as burning hot as it was when he first got it but was at least slightly warmer than room temperature.

Peter approached Rogers from behind and then wordlessly took the seat across from him.

Rogers stared blankly at him for a few seconds as if he could not comprehend Peter was sitting there. He leaned forward and gripped this coffee cup tightly.

“Hello,” he greeted Peter. “How are you?”

“Fan- _freaking_ -tastic,” Peter grumbled. “I revealed my identity to two strangers, one of those strangers claimed to be my father, my aunt revealed he was indeed my father….so basically everything I knew about my life has been pretty much a lie. Like I said, fan- _freaking_ -tastic.”

Rogers smiled and said, “Imagine dying and then waking up after being frozen for several decades. _Now that’s pretty fantastic_.”

Peter smirked and took a sip of his coffee. The coffee slid down his throat, leaving behind its rich, bitter taste and Peter lingered on the taste as he ran over what he wanted to talk about. The Captain’s last comment was encouraging. He was happy to see he was not a stickler and had some humor. He also didn't seem to hold a grudge even though Peter had made him upset with his prior phone call.

“Tony says hello,” Rogers stated and Peter looked at him in surprise.

He circled the top of his cup lid and remembered Aunt May’s words. He asked, “Did he really say that?”

Rogers tipped his head to the side and said, “Yes, in so many words, yes. He wanted to say more but did not know what to say.”

“He…” Peter paused as he searched for the right words he could use that would not upset Stark’s teammate. He continued, “Stark…Why did he reach out to me?”

Rogers sighed and said, “Truthfully, because I made him.” Peter felt his brows rise uncontrollably. He was not expecting that answer. Rogers continued, “He promised your parents that he would never reach out to you or them and he kept his word. He did not even know your parents were dead until the day after your latest birthday. He was afraid of how you would react…He puts on a tough exterior but on the inside he’s the softest of us all.”

“My aunt says he’s just going to use me to raise publicity for the Avengers,” Peter stated.

Rogers' jaw clenched immediately and Peter’s Sipdey-Sense went haywire for half a second. He was about to push himself away from the table when it suddenly stopped. Rogers inhaled deeply and then exhaled very slowly and his jaw relaxed.

 _Wow_. His Spidey-Sense had never reacted so powerfully before, not even with the Lizard or Electro. Rogers must have been crazy strong.

Rogers reached into his jacket and pulled out his phone. He tapped the screen and said, “For the last three years, Tony has had the biggest fodder for media publicity and he has yet to even hinted at it.” Rogers held up his phone and on its screen was a picture of Rogers and Stark kissing. Peter’s jaw dropped and he looked to Rogers to see if he was pulling his leg but he looked dead-serious.

“H-He’s gay? _You’re gay_?” Peter gasped. Captain America was gay?! Oh sweet land of Liberty, that kind of news would catch the world by storm!

“Yes...well, Tony considers himself bisexual,” Rogers stated, pulling back his phone. Before putting his phone away, he peered at the screen and a small smile touched his lips. He sealed his phone and stated, “Tony wants to come out but he keeps it a secret because I am not ready. He would never betray my trust just to score a few points with the media, just as he would never do that with you. If you ask it of him, he won’t say a word of it to the media.”

“And what about SHIELD?” Peter inquired.

“SHIELD?” Rogers asked taken aback. “What about them?”

“What if they order him to reveal me to the media?”

Rogers snorted and said, “Tony usually does the opposite of what SHIELD tells him to do.” He suddenly grinned widely and said, “Nick Fury told him not to flirt with me and he turned around and did just that. Both Tony and the Director thought I would die from mortification but I surprised them both when I flirted back.”

Peter chuckled as he imagined the bizarre act then quickly gulped it back. He gasped, “Sorry, I did not mean to laugh.”

“It’s fine,” Rogers reassured him. He smiled warmly at Peter and said, “We haven’t told SHIELD about you, about-about Spider-Man. And Tony has not told them about having a son. We’re going to let you decide what SHIELD knows…”

Peter dropped his gaze and he circled the top of his coffee with the tips of his fingers again. He would like his autonomy from SHIELD but he did not believe it was possible. He asked, “How can I be sure you are telling me the truth right now? For all I know, SHIELD knows but isn’t saying anything to me until I’m backed into a corner.”

“If SHIELD knew, they would be knocking on your door and having you sign your life away on the dotted line within the hour,” Rogers stated. “They are very efficient, especially with their paperwork…” He sighed and said, “I can’t give you any proof that SHIELD does not know. I can only give you my word.”

Peter leaned back into his chair and stared at Rogers for a moment. He stated, “I don’t trust you. I don’t trust America’s Poster Boy.”

Rogers slouched and he shifted his cup on the table but did not pick it up. He whispered, “I understand.”

A hush fell between them and they both stared at their full cups of coffee.

“…You’re welcome to join the Avengers, by the way,” Rogers suddenly announced. “To officially join, SHIELD will need to know your identity. If you don’t want to reveal it, you can work with us probono so you won’t get paid but you can fight with us…”

“You’re paid to be a superhero?” Peter gasped.

“The Avengers Initiative is considered a branch of SHIELD and thereby a branch of the military,” the Captain explained. “We’re considered government employees.”

Peter was tempted to scream, _Sign me up now!_ He even opened his mouth and was about to push himself out of his chair but stopped himself.

He did not want SHIELD to know who he was and he definitely did not want to be paid off for revealing his identity. He was one of the few superheroes left in the world whose identity wasn't public knowledge and he'd like it very much to keep it that way.  

Peter closed his mouth and stared grimly down at his coffee cup.

There was only one reason why he asked the Captain to meet him.

“So…” Peter asked, “How does…I mean, Tony, how do you think he would feel about… well, about getting to know me?” With the question out there and by the blank look on Roger’s face, Peter quickly reiterated, “Err, or you know…Is he interested? Because if he is not interested then I am not interested. I’m just curious, you know? Who would not be curious? I mean he is my birth father, you know? His video he sent me just got me...thinking. What if he had, had a part in raising me or being in my life as a kid? I'm still pissed that he...I'm upset by this entire situation but I can see now it wasn't just his fault and...I...I want to see if we are alike and not in just in facial features. I mean, he’s a genius and, well, I’m pretty smart too. Who knows we might be on the same wavelength and can talk science or not…because he might not be interested… I just don’t know…What do you think?” Rogers’ eyebrows had risen through his speech and Peter flushed with embarrassment. He mumbled, “Sorry, I babble when I get nervous.”

Rogers grinned and said, “It’s quite all right, I’m actually used to it. Tony does it too.”

“He does?” Peter said in surprise. There was a little twist in his chest. He wanted to know more but was afraid to ask. He was afraid to be denied. He did not want to be denied. He had been denied so much in life and he could not be denied something so important.

“And I think Tony wants to get to know you too,” Rogers whispered. “He…celebrated your birthday, every year since you were born. He might have not reached out to you but he never forgot you.”

The twist in Peter’s chest knotted further but he did not let any emotion show on his face.

“C-Can we talk about him?” Peter asked with a shrug. “What’s he like?”

Peter took a sip from his coffee then made a face. It had grown cold.

“Of course, we can!” Rogers said, an amazing smile split the man’s face and he said, “But first, can I get you a fresh cup? Mine has gone cold too.”

“Uh, sure,” Peter replied. He needed the caffeine to function and he would prefer to have it to be nice and warm going down.

Rogers got to his feet and asked, “How do you take your coffee?”

“Black,” Peter replied. "Dark roast."

Rogers froze, his hand stalling in picking up their cups. His eyes widened and he asked, “I’m sorry?”

“I like my coffee black and bitter as tar,” Peter said with a grin.

Rogers laughed and said, “Oh my goodness, you _are_ his clone.”

Peter’s brows shot together in confusion and he asked, “What do you mean?”

Rogers picked up both of their cups and explained, “Tony drinks his coffee that way too.”

Rogers stepped away and Peter placed his hand on his chest as the knot grew larger.


	5. Crossroads at the Elevator

For the next week and a half, Peter and Steve would meet and talk and be all secretive and it was driving Tony up the wall. 

Tony had already drunken five cups of black-eye coffees but he could _not_ concentrate. He wanted a sixth but Jarvis had locked down the espresso machine, stating it was for health reasons.

Tony would open schematics but his gaze could not focus on his plans. He would pick up a soldering gun and it would feel like it weighed three tons. He tried to focus on anything, even screwing in a simple bolt, but was unable.

All he could wonder about was what Steve and Peter were doing.

“Jarvis—?”

“Master Rogers has not returned yet, Sir,” Jarvis replied without having to be question. He would have liked to boast that his AI was so good at reading him that it could practically read his mind but, in reality, Tony had been asking him the same question every ten minutes since Steve left. And he may do this everytime Steve leaves...

“Jarvis, I can’t work,” Tony whined.

“Master Banner is in the communal room,” Jarvis stated. “He can distract you until Master Rogers returns.”

“Oh, thank God,” Tony gasped and went straight to the elevator.

Once inside, he tapped his foot impatiently as he waited for the elevator to crawl up the shaft and mentally added to his To-Do List giving additional speed to the elevators.

When the doors opened, he shot out and called out, “Bruce!”

He walked into the living room to see Bruce lounging on one of the couches with his feet propped up on the coffee table and a book on his lap.

Natasha and Clint were out of the building on an assignment for SHIELD and Thor was currently in Asgard with Jane. So no one should intrude on them.

“Tony?” Bruce questioned in surprise. “You weren’t in your cave for long.”

“I came to talk science,” Tony said sitting next to his friend.

Bruce smirked and folded the page over in his book. He closed it and placed it on his lap as he said, “I am always down to talk science. Now which science are we talking about?”

“Any science! My brain is too frazzled to work in my workshop but not doing anything constructive is making me insane,” Tony moaned.

Bruce sighed and said, “So you don’t really want to talk science.”

“What? Oh course I do!”

“We’ve been over this countless times, I’m not that kind of doctor, I’m not a therapist,” Bruce stated. “Last time we talked like this I almost lost my temper.”

“The Big Green Meanie need not come about because we are going to talk science!”

“Tony,” Bruce threatened.

“Bruce,” Tony stated in the same tone in rebuttal.

“What is wrong?” Bruce sighed.

“Okay, there might be something bothering me,” Tony stated. The “I knew it” look came across Bruce’s face and Tony was tempted to make a jibe at Bruce but made an annoyed face instead. He explained, “There’s something about me you don’t know and it’s pretty bad.”

Bruce scoffed, “I doubt it. I walked in on you and Steve countless times. It can’t get any worse than that.”

“Worse than having a son who you ignored for the last 19 years?” Tony stated with a laugh. Upon Bruce’s shocked expression, Tony said, “Did I mention he spent 14 of those 19 years an orphan?” Bruce opened and closed his mouth like a fish out of water. Tony continued, “Yeah, it’s worse than seeing Steve and I fuck.”

“Tony-,” Bruce gasped, his voice full of concern. “Are-Are you serious? Do you really have a son?”

“It’s the truth and he predictably hates me and refuses to speak to me…He and Steve are meeting for coffee right now,” Tony mumbled the last bit. He fell back into the couch and looked at the ceiling. He whispered, “Ever since I saw him all I can wonder is: Did I do the right thing? He was happy with his aunt but now he’s not. I just fucked up his entire life by showing up, didn’t I?”

“I-It’s something he should know,” Bruce interceded. “But – I – You- You have a son…” He gasped the last bit, his voice layered with surprise.

“Yes, keep up, Bruce,” Tony sighed.

“Tony, this is a little shocking to hear about to say in the least,” Bruce gasped. “And… Nineteen years? All this time?”

“Am I a bad person?” Tony asked. He kept staring at the ceiling. He could not look at Bruce; Tony could tell he was upset by the sound of his voice.

“…You are one of the greatest men I know, Tony,” Bruce stated seriously.

Tony chuckled and said, “You’re only saying that because we’re Science Bros.”

“I’m serious, Tony,” Bruce stated. He said, “You are also an idiot but it can’t be helped.”

Tony’s head snapped up and he gasped, “I am considered one of the smartest people on Earth, no, strike that! –In the universe! I am one of the smartest people in the universe and am in no way an idiot!”

“What you are doing right now just proves my point,” Bruce replied.

“What-?!”

“Arguing with me!” Bruce gasped, “You know for a fact that I turn into a murderous, rage machine when I am angry but you insist on always being right!”

“Because I am.”

Bruce groaned.

“Sir?” Jarvis interrupted.

“What, are you going to call me an idiot too?” Tony snapped.

“No, Sir,” Jarvis replied. “I would never call my creator an idiot, no matter the varying levels of foolhardy he displays.” Tony rolled his eyes. Tony made his AI was too witty and sassy for his own good. Jarvis continued, “Sir, Master Rogers has returned.”

“Holy shit!” Tony shot off the couch and hissed to Bruce, “Steve is back!”

“Yes, I heard Jarvis,” Bruce replied dryly. He asked, “Is our ‘science’ talk done?”

“Pen me in for another appointment tomorrow, Dr. Banner, our talks do wonders on my soul,” Tony joked and Bruce groaned again. Tony did not wait to see if Bruce had anything more to say and ran to the elevators. He asked Jarvis, “Did you tell Steve where I am?”

“Yes, Sir, and –.”

“So he’s on his way up right now?” Tony whispered excitedly.

“Yes, Sir, he will be with you in another twenty seconds. Master Rogers ha –.”

“How does he look, Jarvis? Does he look upset or happy?” Tony interrupted him, he had no patience for whatever formalities or manners Jarvis was trying to convey.

“Master Rogers appears nervous, Sir,” Jarvis replied. “He-.”

“Nervous?!” Tony gasped, “Why would he be-?”

The elevator doors opened and Jarvis stated, “Most likely because Master Parker is with him. I tried to warn you, Sir,” his AI added, with a hint of aspiration in its voice.

Steve jerked up straighter in surprise and Peter’s eyes nervously shifted between Steve and Tony. Tony froze with his eyes flickering back and forth between his boyfriend and son.

“H-Hi,” Tony garbled, breaking the horrible silence that had begun to build.

“Hi,” Steve replied.

Peter clenched his jaw tighter.

“Did…Did you two have a nice talk? Uh, was the coffee good?” Tony asked awkwardly. "You two had coffee, right? It's like your thing."

“Coffee, yes, it was fine…Tony, can we, um, come in?” Steve asked, just as awkwardly. Tony was standing in front of the elevator doors, blocking their access to the rest of the room for the last couple of minutes.

“Uh, yeah.” Tony stepped back and Steve and Peter came in. Tony cleared his throat and said, “Hem, welcome. Welcome to Casa De La Stark.”

“Is this him?” Bruce asked, coming around the corner. He peered at Peter curiously.

“Yes! Bruce! This is Peter and Peter this is Dr. Bruce Banner,” Tony gasped excitedly, glad to have something to say.

“D-Dr. Banner,” Peter gasped, his face became beet red. He stepped forward and held out his hand. Bruce took it and they shook hands. Peter said, “Your work in gamma radiation research is amazing! I have read all the articles you published! My powers came about from a gamma radiated spider bite!”

“Powers?” Bruce asked, taken aback. His eyes flickered to Tony uncertainly.

“Oh…” Peter paled and he uncomfortably scratched the top of his head. He cleared his throat and said, “I thought Tony would have told you…I’m Spider-Man.”

Bruce’s eyes became so large that they looked like they were about to pop out of his head. He gasped, “You…You are…and it was with a gamma radiated…” Bruce’s eyes focused on Peter with a renewed interest and he surged forward, grabbing both of his hands. He gasped, “You have to let me run some tests! The properties in your blood alone should be astounding!”

Before Peter could respond, Steve stepped in and said, “Bruce, he just got here. Please, refrain from taking scientific samples until the fifth visit.”

Peter shot Steve a grateful look and smiled at him. The jealousy monster immediately reared its ugly horns within Tony. He wished Peter would look at him with such trust.

\---

“Tony did not even tell Bruce about Spider-Man,” Steve whispered to Peter.

Peter glanced up to the soldier and saw a small smile on his lips. He was trying to alleviate some of his fears and Peter was surprised to feel it working. If Tony did not tell one of his closest friends about Peter then why would he tell SHIELD?

Tony led them back into the living room and Peter watched his every movement. He was built like Peter, his body small and sleek but contained well-defined muscles. His hair was dark, like Peter’s, but contained a few grey streaks. He shuffled his feet as he walked with a slight hunch to his back. He stole a fugitive glance at Peter and their eyes met for the briefest of seconds.

Peter’s eyes broke away first and he stared at the ground. He wanted to get to know Tony. He wanted to know who this man was. Yet, actually meeting with him was so surreal that Peter was afraid to approach him. Tony Stark had been his idol, a charismatic genius and amazing superhero. Never in his wildest dreams did Peter think he would meet him or any of the other Avengers. Nevertheless, Tony Stark was his father and Peter had yet to come to terms with that factor.

Steve had told him all about Tony: his likes, his dislikes, his parent’s early demise and how it affected him, MIT, his alcoholism, Iron Man, the Avengers, his relationship with Steve…Anything Steve thought Peter could use to get to know Tony better. Peter looked at Tony in a new light but it was not a connection. For a connection to form, he and Tony needed to relax around each other and personally get to know each other…

Tony led them the short distance from the elevator to the couches and fell down onto the nearest sofa.

“Bruce, let’s go make some popcorn,” Steve said and Peter tensed. “Then we’ll start a movie.”

Bruce nodded and he and Steve left the room before Peter could babble an excuse to join them. An awkward silence grew in the room as soon as they were gone. Peter looked anywhere but at Tony.

Finally, Tony cleared his throat and said, “Come, sit down.”

Peter met Tony’s gaze. The older man was sitting up straight and had his hands clenched in front of him. He looked nervous. He always looked nervous around Peter. It made Peter more nervous than he already was.

Peter cleared his throat as he broke his gaze away from Tony and went over to the closest couch. He sunk into the plush cushions and peered down at his feet.

“So…” Tony muttered, “How was the coffee?”

Peter glanced up from under his lashes and saw Tony leaning toward him. His interest gave him the courage he needed and he replied, “It was alright…I…I like my coffee black and Steve had said you do too.”

Tony grinned, his smile lighting up his face, and said, “Yes! I wish there was a way to make it blacker than black but I just make do with more cups of coffee!”

Peter smiled too, Tony’s grin was magnetic and he said, “According to Steve we are more alike than we realize. We talked about you, you know…”

“I deny it all,” Tony joked. They chuckled together and another silence fell between them. Yet this silence was not as strange and, in it, Peter reflected over his and Steve’s multiple conversations.

Tony leaned back and said, “Okay, let’s see…Well from what I deemed from my own research…You like science?”

Peter smirked and said, “Like is such a small word when talking about my passion for the subject.”

Tony chuckled, “Okay, let’s see what else… Well, the obvious, you like saving people.”

“Nah, I just like wearing spandex,” Peter replied.

Tony laughed loudly and said, “And you share my amazing sense of humor!”

“Oh gosh,” Peter replied, pretending to be bashful and they both laughed.

“And we both like blondes!” Tony added with a snicker and all the good humor Peter felt vanished instantly.

“Wha-?” Peter must have misheard him.

Tony’s eyes narrowed and he said, “Didn’t Steve tell you? He said he brought it up. He and I are in a…relationship.”

“I-I know that. He told me the first time we met and even showed me a picture of you two kissing on his phone…”

“And you’re fine with that?” He asked.

“Yes,” Peter replied.

“Good,” Tony said. “Then I approve of your relationship with a female.”

“I don’t have a relationship with a female,” Peter replied, almost bitterly.

“You got to be kidding me,” Tony replied. “Jarvis hooked me up with photos from your graduation. I saw you with that blonde, you were all over her! What’s her name? Who is she?”

“…Gwen,” Peter whispered, his heart constricted when he voiced out her name. The day of their graduation felt like it was ages ago. He was so naïve back then…

“Gwen, eh?” Tony said. “So what’s the story? She broke your heart or wants to just stay friends?”

“She broke my heart,” Peter whispered as he reflected on the memory of her death. He could still feel her weight on his webbing and the slight slack it gave as her body rebound off the ground. Yes, she broke his heart, “…When I killed her.”

The look on Tony’s face made Peter’s throat swell shut and he realized he said the damning words aloud. He went to explain but as soon as he opened his mouth he knew he would only sputter and maybe even start crying. He thought he was better. It'd been months since she passed. When did he become so pathetic?

Peter got to his feet. He could not be there, not with Gwen’s name still lingering in the air and his guilt from her death flooding through his system. He went through enough trauma today by agreeing to see his birthfather again. A father who had just miraculously appeared out of nowhere and totally skewed Peter’s life, a father who was now staring at him in horror.

No one but Peter knew what happened with Gwen and he was going to keep it that way.

“I...I didn't mean that." Worst lie ever. "I’ve got to go,” Peter whispered and, before Tony could say anything, he charged straight to the elevator.

“Wait—!” Tony called after him.

Peter punched the button for the elevator and impatiently waited.

Tony got to his feet and all the hairs stood on end on his arms. Tony guardedly approached him. Peter watched him from the corner of his eye and tried not to draw attention to the fact that he was watching Tony’s every move.

“…You killed your girlfriend?” Tony whispered. The horror in his voice made Peter cringe. The elevator had yet to come and Peter wished it was faster. Yet…in the time it took to get to this floor, perhaps he could explain some, just enough so that Tony would not think he was a coldblooded murderer.

Peering at his feet, Peter stated, “T-That guy…The one the media was calling the Goblin. He was my friend and he – Harry, blamed me for what he became and…it is my fault. My blood did that to him. But anyways, he realized I was Spider-Man and he wanted to get revenge. Harry took Gwen to the top of a clock tower and was going to drop her…” Peter paused, his throat became too tight. He had never voiced this aloud. He had always grieved for Gwen alone. Tony came up to him and gently placed his hand on Peter’s back. He flinched but then leaned into his touch. He whispered, “I caught her and placed her on the walkway and then fought with Harry. Harry’s glider broke away from him and crashed into the walkway. It broke and she fell…”

The shock and fear on Gwen’s face replayed clearly in Peter’s mind. He had to stop. He could not say any more. The elevator dinged and opened. He gasped sharply, “I’ve got to go.”

“Peter,” Tony said gently. The compassion in his voice made Peter pause. He had taken a single step into the elevator and he felt tears begin to burn his eyes.

 _Please, don’t be nice to me_. He thought instantly. If Tony was kindhearted to him he knew he would break. He did not want that to happen. It would be so humiliating. He had just met Tony Stark, he was practically a stranger to him.

“It’s not your fault,” Tony whispered to him, his thumb rubbing small circles into his back. “The Goblin took her there, he meant to hurt her, and he put her in danger. You were only trying to save her…There’s only so much we can do. We’re superheroes, Peter. We’ve saved so many lives that we have lost count. But it’s the lives that we could not save are the lives that affect us. What you experienced was worse…Gwen was not just another person to be saved. She was someone you clearly loved."

Peter picked up his head and met Tony’s sympathetic eyes. A single tear escaped and Peter whispered, “You don’t understand…Gwen fell and I jumped after her. I waited until I was close enough and shot my web at her. I caught her but I was too late.” He wrapped his arms around himself. He repeated, “I should not have waited. I should have shot out my web as soon as she started to fall. I killed her. I kil-.”

Tony suddenly encased Peter in a tight hug, knocking the words and breath right out of him. Peter tensed in his hold and started to shake as he became overcome by emotion.

“You know I was kidnapped by terrorists and it was when I created the first Iron Man suit,” Tony gasped against his shoulder. Peter shifted to escape Tony’s hold but Tony tightened his arms around him. Peter could have easily escaped, he must have been ten-times stronger than Tony, but instead he slumped into his hold and listened to him.

Tony continued, “What the general public does not know is that I would not have lived, nonetheless escaped, if it were not for a man named Yinsen. When my suit was calibrating, the terrorists were coming and we realized we were not going to have enough time. Yinsen sacrificed his life so I would have a chance to escape. Yinsen was my friend and if my code only loaded faster he could have survived. I blamed myself for Yinsen’s death.” Tony pulled back and grasped Peter’s face. Peter’s tears were falling freely and he was surprised to see tears in Tony’s eyes as well.

“I also blamed myself, Peter. To block out the pain I drank and I made risky decisions in my life and business. It was only years later that I realized I was squandering away what Yinsen sacrificed his life for and from that point on I knew I could not continue my life mourning him...Think on it. Would Gwen want this? Would she blame you for what happened? Would she approve of how much you blame yourself, Peter?”

“No,” Peter gasped. Knowing Gwen, she would knock him across the head and call him a dummy for acting this way. He smiled sadly, imagining her doing just that.

“Being superheroes is not just about saving the world. It is also about sacrifice,” Tony whispered. “You don’t have to do this. You can go back to being an ordinary kid.”

Peter shook his head and smiled grimly at Tony. He whispered, “I am no longer a kid and I can’t go back. My uncle once told me, ‘with great power, comes great responsibility.’ I was gifted with the ability to help people. I can’t ignore it.”

Tony smiled sadly at him and ran his hand through Peter’s hair. His eyes flickered to the elevator beyond him then back to Peter. He whispered, “Don’t go. Stay. We don’t have to talk about this anymore...but you don’t have to be alone anymore either. You're right. Our gifts aren't something that shouldn't be ignored...but neither are our relationships...Pete, I can't ignore this anymore. I can't ignore you now that I have met you.”

“Tony?” Steve’s concerned voice made Peter jump away from Tony. Steve looked from Tony’s glassy eyes to Peter’s red, tearstained face and his look of concern evolved into total alarm.

“We – uh – I – well…” Tony sputtered.

“Is the popcorn already done?” Peter asked, wiping his face.

“Yes…” Steve responded slowly, his eyes shifted uneasily between the two of them. Tony was also eyeing Peter strangely.

“Shall I return the elevator to the ground floor, Sir?” A voice suddenly asked out of nowhere.

“That’s Jarvis, my AI,” Tony explained upon seeing Peter’s confused expression. He probably hadn't realized the other voice in the video that was sent to him was an AI. He probably just assumed it was another person like Tony's butler or something. Tony cleared his throat and looked particularly at Peter. He asked, “That all depends on Peter. Are you still going to go?”

Peter glanced back into the elevator then scratched his head as he faced forward again. He caught Tony’s eyes and saw trepidation in his gaze.

The knot in Peter’s chest tightened at the thought of leaving. He took his foot out of the elevator and the knot lessened. Warmth escaped the bounds of the knot and spread throughout his chest.

“I think I will stay,” Peter replied with a small smile for Tony. “Who can say no to popcorn?”

Tony grinned widely and the elevator closed with a light ding behind him as his son stepped into his home and took his first steps into Tony's life.


	6. Half a Year Later...

“Hey! Web-head! You sightseeing or fighting!?” Tony yelled over the intercom. Below him, he suddenly saw a blur of red and blue as Spider-Man hit one of the bots they were fighting. With a well-placed punch from his son, the robot’s head exploded and he dropped the inert machinery.

“I was distracted by the gleam coming off your armor, Shell-head! Did you spend all night polishing that thing?” Peter retorted sarcastically.

“Boys, stop fighting,” Agent Coulson murmured dryly over the comm. “What’s the situation like over there?”

“Picking off the stragglers in the south,” Clint retorted.

“No more on the east side,” Natasha stated.

“Only hot dogs in the west,” Steve replied. Tony shook his head. By the sound of Steve's garbled voice, he knew someone was coming home with onion-relish breath and he was going to make that someone brush his teeth before kissing a certain genius.

“Looks like Spidey picked off the last bot in the north,” Tony stated into the comms. The only bots on the scene were smoking wrecks.

“Thank you again for the assist, Spider-Man,” Agent Coulson said. “Maybe today you will come in and fill out some paperwork and remove that mask…?”

“No can do, Mr. Agent, sir,” Peter replied. Tony could hear the smile on his voice.

Tony grinned and flew to his son’s side. Peter was crouched over the side of a building, looking down to the street below. Tony disconnected from the comms and opened his face shield. Seeing this, Peter tapped his ear and turned off the communicator beneath his mask.

“Steve is making risotto tonight and wants you to come over for dinner. Your aunt is welcome too,” Tony added, thinking of May.

Peter shook his head and said, “I only recently got her to grudgingly accept you are a part of my life. Dinner with Steve might be pushing it. I still haven’t broken it to her that you two are dating. I don’t think she will want to go either way...”

Tony rolled his eyes and said, “Tell that old-bat I am not going anywhere so she’s just going to have to get used to it.”

Peter rubbed his forehead, creasing his mask beneath his touch, and grumbled, “It does not help that you call her names like that, especially when you do it to her face.”

“Hey, I only called her a gremlin when she sneered at me,” Tony retorted back.

“She only sneered because I called you ‘Dad,’” Peter replied back just as fast.

Tony squared his shoulders and pompously crossed his arms across his chest. He stated, “It is a title I wear proudly.”

"You are such an ass,” Peter muttered. He pointed his hand to a faraway building and shot off his web shooter. A white web blasted across the sky and hit the said building. He jumped and Tony followed.

“That’s no way to talk to your father, young man!” Tony mocking yelled.

“Father-dearest, won’t you please tuck me in tonight,” Peter retorted with an obnoxiously, annoying, squeaky voice.

“Oh do not start that father-dearest bullcrap again,” Tony groaned.

“Oh father-dearest, please don’t curse! It hurts my fragile ears!”

“Now you sound like Steve,” Tony stated and Peter laughed.

Peter hit the wall of a building and stuck to its side with his fingertips. He looked up to Tony with his glass eyes and Tony asked, “Are we going to see you for dinner or what?”

"Of course, Dad,” Peter replied with an aspirated groan. “But I don’t know about Aunt May. I will text you later after I ask her.”

Tony grinned and he wanted to hug Peter for calling him dad but held himself back. He could always hug his son tonight when he stopped by and later when he left. He had a lifetime with him and he was grateful for every precious second.

For the years to come, he was going to be spending August 20th very differently.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Cue sappy music!  
> I hoped you enjoyed reading this as much as I had fun coming up with this! :)  
> Thanks for reading!
> 
> 5/8/16 EDIT: There will be a part 2 to this series. All the details can be found [here](http://il0vsuperman.tumblr.com/post/144053542933/double-update), on my tumblr! :)


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